Better Off Alone
by CapriceTheAvenger
Summary: Always strutting around with his head held high and his eyes straight forward with this 'tough' facade, but when will sasuke realize that someone can see right through it. Sasuke doesn't care what anyone thinks of him. He's better off alone, right? Yaoi
1. Prologue

Okay, so here's the new story that I promised everyone. This one, I am fairly confident about, and it's amazing how easily it flows when I'm writing it. This has been nagging me for some time now and I have to get this piece of literary work on this site. So the first chapter will be the prologue, which will be short as all my prologues are. Basically a prelude to the story.

Okay, so here we go!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of its characters. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto. Also, the lyrics at the beginning of this chapter belong to Bring Me The Horizon.

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_Goodbye my friend, goodbye my love, you're in my heart…_

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Prologue

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Sasuke remembers rather graphically the day that Itachi returned home after five long years away. He had just showed up as if he had only taken a stroll outside, as if he had not been gone long at all. Precarious, really, the way his brother had turned up out of the blue, the night of a New Moon – a starless night, he could remember-, when it hung in the sky, vividly white and the shape of a crescent. As Sasuke had sat outside amongst the creatures of the night, listening to the symphony that the crickets played along with an occasional hoot of an owl, or some other well hidden insect or animal, he had observed the vehicle turning the corner sharply.

If Sasuke had known who it was, he would have ran, so that he didn't have to face what he did that night. He hurt too much already.

Itachi had not been alone when he'd exited the car. His long lost brother carried a child in his arms, snuggled up tightly and protectively to his chest, sleeping soundly, breathing evened out to a soft inhalation and exhalation every five seconds.

Sasuke remembered the sharp pang of betrayal, hurt, and of all things, jealously he'd felt as he even squinted to get a better view of… his nephew. It was obvious that his ex-lover had slept with someone. When the two of them had been together, they'd never done anything past kissing, for Sasuke had still been young, but it seemed that Itachi didn't have the patience to stick around and wait for him to be ready for an intimate relationship. In truth, Sasuke had kept his virginity, hoping that if his brother would ever return, he would give him his most treasured gift.

Now it was simply out of the question.

This feeling of hurt had stolen his breath away as it hit him square in the chest, especially when Itachi had avoided his eyes, in favor of calling out for their mother after a quick nod – after five long years- in his direction. It had felt as if a bucket of ice had been poured over his head; his heart.

No matter what Sasuke did, he could not eradicate that little clench in his stomach that he obtained whenever he would catch the loving look that Sasuke had assumed long ago, was only reserved for himself. What was he expecting from Itachi though; it already seemed as though the boy were his 'pride and joy'.

Sasuke was loathed to know that he had been left behind and forgotten, turned away for another lover; a woman by the look of things. Itachi had made a promise to return long ago, but never in that promise did he mention that he would be hauling an offspring, a replica of the man he had once been so in love with, or at least what he thought had been love.

This woman had given his brother something that the young Uchiha knew he would never be biologically capable of providing his brother with, but someone else had.

It was quite obvious now that Itachi had an obligation, a priority, and Sasuke found himself to be on the rock bottom of that list. He understood that things could never go back to the way they used to be, and considering the child, he knew that Itachi would not even propose the idea himself. For this child's sake, Sasuke would pretend that the relationship that he'd had with his brother had never existed. That was how Itachi wanted things to be anyways.

Sasuke knew he was better off alone anyways, right?


	2. Chapter One

Okay, so finally I am back, and yes I have made dates for when I am updating all my stories, so check my profile. So you don't have to go through all that trouble, I'll just tell you now.

November 9, 2009 (Monday) – Better Off Alone

November 10, 2009 ( Tuesday) – Hey Daddy

November 11, 2009 – (Wednesday) Voices

November 12, 2009 – (Thursday) Blindfold Final Chapter

I also have the summary for a story that I am currently in the process of writing, so it won't be up for a while, but if you would like to know what it is about, check out my profile.

Thank you to all those that have reviewed for this story, and I would like to dedicate this chapter to you.

Aeonreclipse: I'm sorry to say, but uh yeah! That's Itachi's kid. Don't worry, I promise you'll enjoy the story anyways (well I hope that you do). I'll make it as interesting as possible!

Kcatgirl13: Thank you, I'm glad you like the idea. I agree, poor Sasuke :( Thank you for reviewing!

Fallen star that finds light: Wow, reading this review actually made me feel a bit better about my writing! I'm glad that you enjoy it, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for your review.

Tarn Vedra 5: Thanks so much, I try to make all of my stories seem as different as possible (though not so much in the angst department). I'm sad about Make You Mine, too, but I wanted to write something meaningful and I was only writing what was in my head at the moment (which is always bad, because I do things on a whim, but hey that's what my name means in the dictionary lol).Don't worry, this time I won't let you guys down.

BlackSquare: I'm glad that you like the idea, and don't worry, I know I won't be able to give up on this story. For one, I have an actual plot, and two, I enjoy writing stories like these.

Amalia0007: Wow, you know I never even thought of that. Sasuke with a kid seems like it would have been a great idea, but I can't go back and change it now. The plot has already been set and everything. I'm sorry. Though I could make a one-shot about it if you would like, but it would take me a while since I have a crap load of stories to maintain (excuse my language *ahem*), but I would be happy to do it. It's really okay, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I am going to make the Itachi baby problem work, trust me. The brother's will find a will to fix things... or will they?

velvet-prosthesis: I was rather disappointed in myself for giving that story away, but I would not have been any better writing it, for I only wrote that first chapter on a whim. I've decided to plan things out before I do that now, so there won't be anymore of that uploading and then deleting stories business. Not only does that put me in an uncomfortable position, it also becomes unappealing to the readers. So yeah. And Itachi is going to have to have a very good explanation... trust me on that one!

Xxxitachisloverxxx: Thank you, I really appreciate that. I hope that you enjoy this next chapter here! :)

Woah, okay so all this up here took up a whole page, so now I have to get started typing the actual story, so here we go.

Warning for this chapter: Itachi with a baby. (That's the worst thing ever!) Also, I use a little Japanese in here, only when Itachi's kid calls Mikoto 'Soba', which is an informal way of saying grandmother. I don't think that Mikoto would have worried about being formal or anything. 'Tenkei' means Heaven's Blessing.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters, and I do not profit from the writing of this story. I also have no rights to the quote at the beginning of this or any other chapter.

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_We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. _

Better Off Alone

Chapter One: I Don't Need Anyone But Me

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A brooding, eighteen year old teenager sat curled up in the same creaky, wooden swing chair he always inhabited on days like these, when the weather was cool, but the sun still provided a delightful warmth upon his skin. It was almost a shame that this change in climate over the span of a few days contradicted his emotions so overwhelmingly.

Sasuke had long lost track of time and everything else in between, just knowing that he had to get away; away from mother and father, Itachi and his... child.

There was only so much that he could endure seeing Itachi coddle a child that he conceived with someone else. For once, Sasuke had really wished that he was someone other than who he really was. Itachi barely spared him a minute of his precious time, everything was about his junior now, and the raven could not help but feel immensely jealous.

It was a perfect day, not a cloud in sight or a friend to share it with, as always. Solitude had its downsides, but Sasuke chose to disregard those sudden feelings of loneliness, because he would rather be lonely anyways.

Shivering from a brush of chilly air, Sasuke continued to stare at the polished wood of the porch, arms wrapped around slender legs as his dark eyes stayed riveted on one particular spot that seemed different from the others, gnawing thoughtfully on his lower lip.

"Little brother," came a whisper, blowing heated air into his ear. The young Uchiha startled, and damn near fell off the swing in fright as he attempted to slow the beat of his fragile heart, turning barely narrowed eyes to the culprit. Really, how had he not known that Itachi was right beside him?

Sasuke wondered how long Itachi had been there before he decided to make his presence known, as he surveyed his brother in awe of his stealth.

Sasuke nodded his head once stiffly in acknowledgment towards his elder sibling, still the slightest bit startled from Itachi's sudden appearance. Why had his older brother decided to act like he existed now, so suddenly?

The silence between them stretched on uncomfortably at best. There was really nothing to say anymore. What could he say? Maybe something along the lines of 'Why did you leave?

No, that was hardly what he wanted to know, but the curiosity lingered, hovered somewhere in his mind, awaiting an answer Sasuke wasn't sure he would ever get.

Where did you go? Perhaps.

What woman was worthy of bearing your child?

Most of all though, he wanted to know which other but him had been worthy of capturing Itach's heart, something not even he was fully capable of accomplishing. A little tiny voice was softly speaking to him, whispering that he might not want to know the answer to any of these questions.

Sasuke had an inkling that Itachi might have known how how he felt, yet the older Uchiha had yet to confront him since his return home.

Sparing a sideways glance, Sasuke could see Itachi staring up at the sky, twiddling his fingers absently, that usually dignified posture giving way to a tired slump, a habit that the younger male knew his brother had acquired over the years before he left when deep in thought.

Suddenly his voice was filling up the space between them, and working its way under Sasuke's skin like the old days, just like Itachi's fingers felt over his flesh. Now, instead of his own thoughts, Itachi's voice was all he could focus on.

"You seem to come out here a lot," Itachi observed, wondering if this was how Sasuke spent all his spare time when he was away.

Sasuke kept his lips firmly pressed together, opting not to look over at his brother at all, no matter how tempting it was to get lost in those beautiful, long-lashed eyes of Itachi's. It would only resurface memories he'd been trying to forget when he thought that Itachi would not come back at all. Sasuke didn't want to have those butterflies wreaking havoc within his gut anymore, that emotion he had when he was a bit younger whenever those impenetrable eyes would lock with his.

"Seems so," the younger raven mumbled, not very interested in continuing a conversation with his brother, whom he had trusted his heart with, only to have it shattered into tiny fragments, impossible to pick up and put back together on his own, for Itachi would always have pieces of it even if that is not what Sasuke wanted.

Itachi sighed mutely, pushing back a strand of hair gone astray from his low ponytail. He could feel the frustration working its way through his emotions and coming to a stop at the forefront. The older male felt an ache starting at his temple, and he brought up his index and middle finger, rubbing the pulsing spot on the side of his head.

"Where are your friends, and that blond kid you always used to favor?" Itachi queried, attempting to get something – anything – out of his baby brother. Before he had made his departure, Sasuke had never been this quiet, this cold.

Sasuke felt the corner of his lip pull down at the corners as Itachi opened his mouth yet again, rich, deep voice causing his gut to clench every time he spoke. Why was he being so talkative anyways? It was not like his brother to attempt communication of any sort.

The younger Uchiha replied icily, hoping that if Itachi's curiosity was quelled, then he would shut up and leave him alone. "I don't have friends; don't need them." The answer was just as he wished it to be; straight and to the point. Choosing to be blunt rather than give out hints and draw out the whole conversation, Sasuke turned to his brother.

"Is there something that you need?" He knew he was being rude, but he couldn't care less. If only he could hurt his brother like Itachi had hurt him, then they would be even. Misery loves company, and Sasuke thought that if he felt this way, then it would only be fair for Itachi to as well.

For once, a touch of something akin to hurt – though Sasuke didn't think the bastard could feel such an emotion – passed behind his brother's eyes, that is if Sasuke could trust his eyes to have seen this correctly. He paid it no heed; the thought that Itachi might have deserved it seemed to bounce back and forth around his mind.

"I've not spoken to you since my return." Itachi almost sounded as if he felt regret towards his actions, but Sasuke knew better than to think he cared. Itachi didn't know how to feel emotions; his heart had become frozen over time.

"'Tousan?" Two pairs of obsidian eyes shifted to the door, where Itachi's little auburn haired son stood, those same Uchiha eyes glistening with childish innocence; cautious as he stared back at Sasuke. Hair that Sasuke imagined felt just like his father's, as fine as spider silk, had grown to the nape of his neck, still just a little thin and tousled as the mild wind ran its cold fingers through the wispy tendrils.

Sasuke's frown only deepened as he spied his brother's tense features soften as he looked upon his first born son, beckoning him forward with his hand facing the floor as his fingers made scooping motion; the way he would when drawing Sasuke to him when he was younger, before issuing a soft prod to his forehead.

"Come, Tenkei," The child avoided Sasuke like the plague, as he skirted around him cautiously like a frightened kitten, walking straight into his father's arms while looking up at Sasuke with timid doe eyes, wide and slanted just the slightest.

Sasuke turned away from the sight. He'd forgotten what it felt like to be in his brother's arms, but this child had the privilege whenever he so wished it. Tenkei, heaven's blessing, daddy's little boy, while he was just second best; the pathetic little brother who could never make Itachi happy.

After looking his son over, Itachi allowed his eyes to rake over his younger sibling's form before settling on his face. Sasuke was ignoring him, that much he could see, but he just wanted to verify this.

"Tenkei and I were on our way to visit a few old acquaintances of mine," Itachi began shortly, watching Sasuke carefully. "Would you like to accompany us, baby brother?"

Sasuke already knew what his answer would be before Itachi could even attempt to conclude his sentence. As long as his brother was sporting that little kid around like a trophy, the younger raven knew he would not be going anywhere with him. Sasuke hated that pride and affection – which took him so long to gain from Itachi – whenever the older male would look down at his child.

"No, I'll pass. I'll just see you later, I guess." Attempting to walk away as if brushing off the whole situation entirely, Sasuke only got as far as a few steps before his wrist was within a vice grip. Reflexively, the young raven yanked his arm as hard as was permitted without causing himself harm, attempting to liberate himself from Itachi's steel grip.

The feel of that skin he thought he would never feel again sent tingles through his arm and his own flesh was beginning to burn underneath that fatal grasp.

From what Sasuke could observe, Itachi was upset, and Sasuke internally gave himself a swift kick in the ass as he realized his mistake. "It is true that I have been absent for some time, but there is no doubt in my mind that you remember how much I loath when you throw such childish fits." Itachi was referring to Sasuke's blunt dismissal and simpering attitude.

Sasuke felt something snap inside of him, wondering how Itachi could just come back after his long time away and think he had the right to tell him how he should act.

"Let go of me," he sneered, yanking his arm harshly to no avail, voice filled with animosity towards the one he once called his lover. "Five years ago I was still a child, but now I'm a man. Don't think you still hold any power over me."

To think Itachi still treated him like a child caused Sasuke's brewing anger to bubble to the surface and spill over. Even though Itachi had not shown it, it was obvious to Sasuke that his brother was having trouble grasping this statement.

Tenkei's wide eyes traveled between the two siblings as they continued to stare one another down unwaveringly.

Finding this argument a waste of his time, Sasuke wrenched his wrist from its captive hold and puffed his chest out a little more in defiance and pride, eyes narrowing in hate.

After a drawn out tense moment of silence, Itachi opened his mouth to speak once more, choosing his words carefully. "It appears you have grown bitter while I have been away." Now the older Uchiha seemed thoughtful as he mulled over his very own words, eyes glued onto his brother. "There is no way to be civil with you while in this state."

Sasuke's temper did not retreat, and the undertones of condescension in his brother's voice was of no help. "Yeah well, I never asked for you to be civil, nor did I ask for you to come back, so fuck off."

Sasuke knew he was skating on thin ice, even wondered if he _wanted _that ice to break. He also knew that he had said _something _wrong when he realized his brother had suddenly become so quiet, the only sound being the sharp gasp exhaled between Tenkei's lips.

A sudden chill trickled down his spine in fear as his brother's dark eyes gleamed with something feral, and his tone had become as chilly as the breeze. "You will watch your foul mouth around my child, little brother."

Sasuke didn't care if he mouthed off around the little imp, he didn't even care for the boy, though Tenkei was his nephew. Perhaps it was the envy speaking, the green monster rearing its ugly head, but he just could not stop his mouth from moving of its own accord

"Well if you don't want the little bastard around me, then take him somewhere else!"

One minute he had been standing perfectly still, and then the next, he was crashing to the floor he couldn't take his eyes off only moments before. The pain blossoming on the his left cheek left him gasping for air as he held his jaw, using his index finger to rub at the blood on his busted lips.

The little boy had let out a startled yelp at this turn of events, watching the other male hit floor with a loud 'oomph' as Itachi stood over Sasuke with fury blazing within the depths of his eyes.

"I told you to watch your mouth, did I not?" Itachi's tone was full of protectiveness and disapproval as he watched Sasuke groan as trembling fingers held his jaw. "Address my son that way again, Sasuke, and I swear to god I will not hold back on account of you being my brother." With that being said, he stepped backwards, fist clenched as he turned and descended down the stairs to his vehicle parked in the driveway, Tenkei stumbling behind him with hurried steps, catching up to his father and latching onto his hand while looking back at the injured Uchiha.

Once he was sure that the purr of Itachi's car had gone far enough away from hearing distance, Sasuke still did not move from his spot upon the wooden porch, curling up as he began to regret ever speaking to his brother, ever saying a damn word. Maybe if he just...

When he awoke, the air was stale with tears, and he was alone in a dark room, listening to the sounds of his mother's melodious humming in the kitchen and the low murmur of his father's voice mumbling into a telephone in his study. The sun had set a while back, an hour after he had dragged himself back up to his room, avoiding his mother who would no doubt be fluttering over him like a hummingbird, fussing over his bruise and soothing it with her salve.

His jaw hurt like a mother, and many times he had turned over, only to flinch and turn onto his other side as he felt the pain of his wound press against the pillow. Listening a little harder, Sasuke heard a giggle come from downstairs, a voice he never really heard until earlier that afternoon since his brother's return, clear like crystals and child-like.

A knock on his door alerted the Uchiha to a presence just outside the threshold, and quickly he did his best to cover the bruise, not saying a world as he faced away from the entrance. A moment later, Sasuke could hear the old hinges creak as the door was pushed open, and the tap of slippers on his floor let him know that someone had entered the room.

"Sasuke-kun, wake up." It was his mother, sweet and gentle voice soothing his senses as he closed his eyes, calming his breath as soft hands shook him awake, though he made no move to get up, and no sign that he had already slipped out of slumber minutes ago.

"Son, dinner is ready," she whispered in his ear, and Sasuke could no longer pretend that his mother was not there, not wishing to give her any problems. He knew she always worked hard to provide for him, and he refused to miss any dinner she had set out for the family. So opening his eyes, the young Uchiha turned over, allowing his mother to take in the angry, swollen bruise marring her son's pale skin.

"Oh my god, Sasuke, who did this to you?" _Your other son, he thought hatefully, groaning as his jaw began to ache a little bit more._

Healing fingertips skated across his cheeks, probing and prodding the tender flesh, before she turned quickly, muttering under her breath and exited the room, only to return a moment later with her jar of salve that Mikoto used for almost every injury.

The salve was cool upon Sasuke's skin, almost as cold as Itachi's stare, he thought absently, letting his mother coddle him as she went about smoothing the creamy substance across his battered cheek.

His mother sighed, sitting back and observing the wound worriedly, shaking her head as she wiped the excess cream off her fingers and onto the apron. "What have you gotten yourself into now, little one."

Sasuke didn't answer, just continued to thank Mikoto and sit up, stretching his arms high above his head and then getting out of bed, none too quick to head downstairs, where his brother was no doubt sitting at the kitchen table.

Their father would most likely be taking his dinner in the study, tonight.

Mikoto followed him down the stairs, once asking him how he felt and trying one last time to find out how he'd acquired the injury. Sasuke refused to answer that question, not wanting to reveal that Itachi had punched him for mouthing off and using foul language in front of his son. His mother would be ashamed of his behavior, and he'd had enough of his brother's disappointment to deal with.

As he assumed, Itachi was downstairs sitting in the kitchen with his son, Tenkei's chubby legs swinging to and fro as they hovered high above the ground. The little boy held the chopsticks clumsily, watched how his father held them and tried to emulate Itachi, chewing happily on whatever their mother had cooked that night.

Itachi glanced up as the two entered the kitchen, and Sasuke did his best to avoid his brother, sitting across from his brother at the large circular table, but making sure that he was nowhere near the older Uchiha and his son. Obsidian eyes bore down on him like a god from above, with such a superior gaze, that Sasuke felt compelled to return it, though he did so quickly.

He found that Itachi had been observing the bruise, eyes taking in the different shades attacking the skin of his brother's once flawless cheek.

"Are you enjoying you Gyoza, Tenkei?" Mikoto asked in delight as she watched the little Uchiha eat the dumplings with a satisfied smile.

Tenkei smiled, showing his baby teeth to his grandmother, who swooned at the little boy. "Yes, Sobo, 's really good!"

She clapped in delight, full attention focused on her grandson and failing to notice the tension between her two sons. Itachi's unwavering gaze was like a magnet that Sasuke couldn't help but be drawn to as he tried and tried so hard not to look into those cold, black coals, but he relented at last.

Itachi had sat back in his chair, arms crossed as his chopsticks lay idle on his plate. Sasuke still chewed slowly, but watched his brother with one eye, wincing as his jaw still stung from his brother's wrath. He knew he should have kept his mouth shut, but it wasn't in him to sit back and take the brunt iof cold words.

A giggle like the sound of chimes broke through the moment as Mikoto played with Tenkei, pinching his chubby cheeks between her index and middle finger. The four year old just laughed, that bright gleam of innocence filling his eyes, that light that Sasuke used to hold in his eyes like a torch he thought would never burn out, but it did, and he would never get it back.

Sasuke noticed that he had been watching the kid for some time, and felt a twinge of something, maybe shame over how he had been acting towards the little one, blaming him for being born when it was never his fault. Maybe he hated Tenkei because of the attention he stole, the attention that used to be his.

He felt those eyes on him again, and he knew that if he stayed at the table any longer, he would become upset again, so standing, Sasuke excused himself and shoved his hands into his pockets before going outside to take a walk, slipping on his sandals on the way out the door.

The night air was stifling, humid but good enough weather to take a nice long walk and never come back. He was so tempted to, but Sasuke knew that he couldn't. If he left, he knew that there was so much he'd regret leaving. Mikoto would be heartbroken, wondering if it was her that had done something wrong, or if she had messed up while raising her youngest son. Sasuke couldn't permit his mother to go on blaming herself for something that had never been her fault in the first place.

About halfway down the road, he realized he was being followed, and automatically his mind had locked onto who it was. When they were younger and Sasuke wanted to be alone, he would walk along the dark streetsof his neighborhood, followed by Itachi, his silent protector, and when they'd get home, not a word was said. Sasuke would simply stand upon his tippy toes, and kiss Itachi until he felt weak in the knees.

Now he couldn't do that, now he only wanted Itachi to go away. Sasuke was old enough to take care of himself now, and he didn't need a guardian anymore. Still though, something made him pause, something made him stand still until Itachi made his presence known, and when he did, Sasuke wished he had kept walking.

"What did you think would happen when I returned?" Itachi sounded honestly curious, and the softness in his eyes told of his sincerity as he voiced his thoughts, what had been on his mid since he'd left Sasuke sprawled on the porch.

Sasuke sputtered, opening and closing his mouth a few time, keeping his eyes on the ground. He was hesitant to lay the cards out on the table, afraid that he would be giving too much away, but what would come of it if he did let his brother know how he really felt. There was nothing to lose now, so he let the words flow from his mouth, hating every single second of this emasculaing moment in his life. "I... I didn't know that you would be gone so long, and- and I thought that when you returned, it would be like it was before."

There, he'd said it, put it all out there on the table for his brother to criticize and analyze. Nobody was there to watch, but the streetlights felt more like spotlights as they stood opposite of each other, complete counterparts.

Sasuke loathed how he could sound so weak, when he had a spirit built on pride and dignity; this stuttering little boy was not who he was anymore, but why did he feel as such.

"Sasuke, I would have told you that that was the reason I left, but I did not want hurt you." Sasuke could hear the regret, the sadness, and every single bit of emotion that was left out of his words.

Sasuke scoffed, searching, thinking hard for a way to get out of this conversation before he became anymore hurt than he already was. "Yeah well, congratulations. Got yourself a kid, and a free ticket out of here, right?." He wished he could control the quiver in voice, the slipping of his last vestiges of sanity, his control, but he could not take back his words.

"But you know what? I don't even care anymore," this was obviously a lie, but now that it was out in the air, he couldn't take it back, and despite the fact that he was hurting so much, he severed the last of their bonds. "So you know, you and everybody else can leave because it's bound to happen anyways. You don't give a shit; I don't give a shit, okay? I don't need anyone else, so just go away."

This time, Itachi was the only one left standing there, watching as his little brother was swallowed up by the darkness alone, tough as he thought he was.

But Itachi knew better, and he knew that if his little brother continued to think like he did, he would be broken in no time.

It seemed that coming home was not as grand as he thought it would be. It only served to dig Itachi into a hole he found would be so much harder to get out of.


	3. Chapter Two

Yeah, so I've been gone for a while, and no, I still don't have internet but I have a new way to update. I've still got Open Office on my computer so I could type up the document and upload at school or when I'm at someone's house. So yeah, at first I was little wary of doing things that way, but keh, I mine as well use what resources I do have.

Anyways, thank you to all who have supported my story and added a review. You guys are my inspiration!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I profit from the writing of this story. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto.

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_Behind every beautiful thing, there's some kind of pain._

Better Off Alone

Chapter Two: Begin Anew

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Late into the night, when the crickets had long started their lullaby and the moon was at its highest, Sasuke returned feeling much more docile than he had been earlier that night. Shedding his jacket at the door along with his shoes, he shut the door quietly listening for any signs of activity within the house.

It was silent, but for the muted rattle of the air conditioning kicking into gear and Fugaku's ever-present snoring. Sasuke breathed in deeply, wondering if he would be able to fall asleep without trouble that night, hoping that the emotional stress had tired him out at least enough to pull him into a slumber that would last until dawn. The previous time he had so much on his mind, he had awoken every hour that night to a dark room and a tear stained pillow, his sleep hindered by memories of the past and the longing to feel his brother's body laying next to his.

Sasuke didn't know how he felt anymore.

The soft tapping of footsteps interrupted his thoughts as he leaned against the wall, keeping his body in the shadows as the sound grew closer, before completely stopping in the kitchen. Getting the courage to peek around the corner, just enough to see who was there, he was startled by a set of frightened charcoal eyes peering caustically into his hidden spot, though he was relieved to see that it was not Itachi. It was Tenkei, his nephew. Considering who the boy's father was, Sasuke wasn't surprised that his senses were so sharp, due to the fact that it was still dark and he had been hiding behind a wall.

"Um, daddy's brother, is that you?" Sasuke couldn't hold back a tiny smirk at the little boy's naivety, a reminder of himself when he was this kid's age. It was funny to be called 'daddy's brother', though it was quite obvious that Itachi hadn't talked about 'uncle' so much. Sasuke clicked on the kitchen light, stepping out of the unlit hallway and presenting himself to his brother's son.

He spoke quietly, so as not to alert anyone in the household of his late arrival. "It's okay kid, just call me Sasuke."

The toddler twisted his lips a little before showing off his baby teeth in a cheeky smile. "Sasuuu-ke!" The child seemed happy to learn a new word, so he tried it out a few times, while Sasuke leaned back against the counter, smirking just the tiniest bit, enough that one would think he was mildly pleased, but in truth, he was very curious about his nephew. "What are you doing out of bed so late?"

The kid wasn't so bad, kind of reminded him of Naruto when he smiled so carefree like, like he didn't have a care in the world. Sasuke didn't know how much he missed his best friend until he was reminded of their pointless quarrels and awkward moments of friendship and rivalry.

"Uh, Sasuuu-ke, can I have some drink, please? I'm vewy thirsty." Tenkei concluded his statement with a rub of his tummy and a gentle smile as he stared up at his uncle with a hopeful twinkle in his eyes.

Sasuke pushed himself off the counter and recovered a plastic cup – the cups Mikoto used for parties, with the conclusion that she would not be washing dishes after hosting a gathering with over twenty people present – from the cupboard and poured the boy some water with two cubes of ice, just like Itachi always drank his water.

"Thank you vewy much, Sasu-ke." Sasuke couldn't hide his mirth this time as he hesitated before reaching out and ruffling the boy's auburn hair and replying with a quiet 'No problem', before taking a seat at the empty table.

Tenkei followed his example and placed his cup on the table before pulling the chair back with both hands and climbing into it. A plate of cookies that Mikoto left on the table should anyone wonder into the kitchen for a late night snack, sat invitingly in the middle of the table, prompting Sasuke to retrieve one for himself.

Tenkei was swinging his little legs under the table again while sipping from his glass of tap water and melting ice cubes, staring at the cookies longingly. Sasuke – out of the kindness of his heart – pushed the plate towards the toddler and watched as a chubby arm shot out and grabbed a cookie, the boy beginning to hum contentedly as he nibbled around the edges of his snack.

Sasuke just slumped back in his chair, gnawing thoughtfully on the cookie and watching Tenkei, surveying the striking similarities between father and son, too intent on this one activity to not notice that he was being watched as well.

"Tenkei, what are you doing up?" Sasuke was startled out of his thoughts by the commanding voice of his elder brother, who seemed to have grown much more quieter since he'd been back. Sasuke could never tell when Itachi was there now, unless his brother wished to make his presence known.

Tenkei looked to his father with wide eyes, still chewing rather messily on his first cookie, crumbs falling silently upon his pajama pants. "I was thirsty, 'tousan, but I didn't want to wake you up. Sasu-ke got me some drink and cookies, look," Tenkei exclaimed, showing the cookie off like it was his most prized possession.

Itachi's frown deepened, looking disappointed with his son. "You know that you are not allowed to have sweets at this time of night," he scolded, brushing off the fact that his hateful little brother had been the one to do these things for the nephew that he didn't even like.

"But 'tousan-," Tenkei appeared crestfallen as he tried to reason with his father.

"No, finish your cookie and run off to bed." Itachi watched his son pout and stuff as much of the cookie in his tiny mouth as he could before slipping off the chair and leaving the kitchen, but not before saying goodbye to his new friend.

Turning, he waved solemnly, "It was vewy nice meeting you, Sasu-ke!" The little one shouted around a mouthful of baked dough and chocolate chips, before his little feet were carrying him away and back to his room, the tap of his toes slapping against polished wood growing distant.

The silence was uncomfortable once the third occupant made his hasty retreat under the disapproving stare of his father, leaving two stubborn Uchiha's to fill it up, but neither willing to speak the first kind word to the other.

"Somehow you've gotten him to like you," Itachi stated, voice cutting through the silence, feeling unsettled with the situation.

Sasuke felt mildly insulted by this, wondering if Itachi was implying that no one liked being around him, though he wouldn't be surprised if that were the case, considering one would call him a bit of a grouch. "He's a good kid," was all that he could seem to come up with without appearing to be affected by what Itachi had obviously thought was a compliment, though Sasuke thought differently.

"Tenkei acts a bit like you did when you were younger," Itachi pointed out, the side of his mouth quirking up, though it was almost unnoticeable to the human eye.

If Sasuke had been curious before to what his brother was implying, then he was certainly curious now. "Really, how so?" He couldn't tell if he felt angered or flattered that Itachi even remembered what he was like as a child. When he had been Tenkei's age, it seemed his brother had never had time for him; Itachi was hardly ever around then.

"For one, he's stubborn, as you were when you were four, though you were a bit harder to work with."

_'How would you even know,'_ Sasuke thought to himself. _'You were never even around when I was Tenkei's age!' _

Sasuke kept those thoughts to himself, not wanting to rouse Itachi's anger and begin another confrontation with his unusually reminiscent brother.

The teen snapped himself from his thoughts, realizing that his brother's mouth was no longer moving, rather, Itachi was staring unblinkingly at him. His brother's smoldering eyes had always had a very penetrating quality to them, but now it just seemed as if they could read every thought that had ever passed his mind; that's what startled him the most. Sasuke felt a pinch of guilt, that familiar coiling in his stomach whenever Itachi would stare at him like he was doing at the moment.

When the two of them were 'together', Itachi would often keep his brother within sight, eyes roving over his face and body as if he was sketching Sasuke into his subconscious. It used to flatter the young Uchiha, and even now it had the same effect, but he couldn't help but think that his brother was judging him now more than ever.

Sasuke was beginning to feel a bit self-conscious now that he was aware of Itachi examining him so thoroughly. Bringing a hand up to his face, he looked to his brother, a question hovering on the tip of his tongue.

"What, what the hell are you looking at?" Then he remembered the bruise that Itachi had implanted there himself earlier that day with his 'fist of iron'. "Oh, yeah, proud of your handy work?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed at his brother's sharp tongue, feeling a bit embarrassed that he was caught staring, but not really caring much at the same time. This was one of the times he wished his brother didn't have such a smart mouth, but that was really unavoidable, especially with all that had happened since he'd come home.

"No, not really," Itachi admitted. He wasn't proud of the way he had acted that night, and in front of his son, no less. It was shameful, but Sasuke hadn't been any better and he felt that it was his job to put the boy back in his place.

"Yeah well, that's honorable of you," Sasuke grumbled followed by a yawn, not bothering to cover his mouth. Let Itachi think what he wanted to think, his opinion didn't matter to Sasuke like it did when they were younger. He had grown up and if Itachi was going to stay then he had better get used to what he'd become, because the young Uchiha wasn't willing to change for anyone ever again.

Standing up, he stretched, seeing his brother's eyes slide down his profile when he thought that the other hadn't been watching. "Well, it was nice _chatting_ with you," Sasuke announced, "but I'm kind of sleepy so, I'll see you in the morning... if you're still here."

Itachi had caught the implications at the end of that sentence, feeling offended and annoyed by his brother's lack of understanding of the situation that had driven him to leave his home and younger brother in the first place.

The older Uchiha would not be brought down to his brother's level though, spewing hidden insults and speaking without learning the truth behind things; it wasn't in him to hurt someone who has already been injured, and he knew for a fact that Sasuke only spit poison because he was hurt and upset and for this reason, Itachi was his target.

By the time Itachi was pulled away from his thoughts, his eyes were met with an empty seat and an equally empty kitchen. He brought his hands up to rub at his tired eyes, standing up and retreating from the kitchen, snapping the lights off on his way out.

Going up the stairs as quietly as he could, Itachi trekked back to his room, peeking into his brother's room for a moment.

The light was off and he could hear soft snoring coming from inside, and upon closer surveillance, Sasuke was sprawled over the top of the sheets, clothes and all, obviously too tired to change into comfortable sleepwear.

Shutting the door softly, Itachi backed away and walked the short distance to his own room where his son slept safely, curled beneath the sheets with a thumb resting on the bottom lip of his open mouth.

Itachi slipped soundlessly beneath the covers, wrapping a protective arm around his young son, feeling the warm little bundle shift to rest back against him in unconscious reassurance of safety and security that he could only get from his father.

Sighing, Itachi settled down and closed his eyes, preparing for the day ahead, and undoubtedly, another face-off with his baby brother.

Somehow, he always seemed to wake up rather unpleasantly, as he did this morning; shivering with the blast of cold air, courtesy of the air vent directly above his bed. It was early in the morning, dawn as far as he could tell from the shade of light spilling through his window; splashing his room in a bluish tint.

Sasuke could remember shedding his shirt sometime in the night, seeing as it had gotten hot and the heavy clothes he was still wearing from his late night walk were not making it any better, seeing as they stuck damply against his skin in an uncomfortable fashion.

He could hear his mother's quiet whistling of an old tune she used to sing to him when he had nightmares as she started on breakfast for the family. By this time, Fugaku had already left for the police station, before the signs of light had become known to man that morning. Sasuke could hear voices across the hall as Itachi woke his son, telling him that it was time to greet mother for the morning and make himself presentable for breakfast.

Sasuke rolled his eyes; his brother had always been such a prude. The young Uchiha couldn't help but hope that his nephew didn't turn out that way.

Waking up was always the same routine for Sasuke. Get up, brush his teeth, throw on something, run a hand through his hair and grab breakfast, after that... nothing. Hence, why he didn't understand why school breaks were necessary in the least.

Rolling over onto his back, Sasuke turned his head as a tentative knock was placed against his door. "Yeah," he called softly, not really in the mood to make contact with another at the moment. He relished this moment of time where he could think in the privacy of his own room in between that state of slumber and consciousness.

The door opened to reveal an energetic four-year old and a brooding older brother. "Sasu-ke! You have to get up 'cause Sobo is making up breakfast, come on!" The little boy jumped on the bed before crawling over to Sasuke.

Casting a glance over to his brother, he could see that the older male was watching him carefully. _'Probably wondering if I'm going to hurt his precious kid,' _Sasuke thought spitefully, immediately feeling guilty afterward knowing that it was not the kid's fault.

"Hey kid," Sasuke grunted as he turned his thoughts back to what was happening at the moment. "What's she making?"

"Onigiri!" For a moment, Sasuke found some truth in Itachi's words. This kid did remind him of himself when he was four; young, innocent and full of life and love. Sasuke would always be so excited over the smallest things, especially when it came to his mother's cooking.

Sasuke smiled and ruffled the little boy's hair, who protested, though he giggled under his uncle's hand. "For breakfast?"

Tenkei nodded enthusiastically, beaming happily. "Yep, 'cause I told her it was my favowit' food and she said she would be happy to make it!"

How was it possible to hate this kid when he was so endearing and capable of melting the hardest of hearts: Itachi's.

"Now you made me hungry, kid, let's go eat." Tenkei bounced happily back on the bed, giggling as Sasuke picked out a shirt from his wardrobe and pulled it over his head before walking to where Itachi was leaning lazily against the door frame.

Itachi was watching him again, as if Sasuke was a specimen he had never seen before, but this time it was beyond him why his brother would be staring at him that way; as if he's never seen the boy a day in his life. Though it wasn't the look that made Sasuke pause, but rather the peaceful little smile that his mother had often sported when she would peer proudly around the dinner table at her happy little family when she thought no one was looking. That pride and love that Itachi's eyes spoke of now as he stared down upon Sasuke and his son.

Sasuke was – as always- pulled abruptly out of his thoughts as he felt a tug on his hand, glancing down to see the little boy trying to pull him along, though not strong enough just yet. Tenkei's wide eyes stared up at him in curiosity, that ever-present little smile staying firmly plastered to his features.

"Are you coming?" He inquired, bottom lip poking out in an irresistible pout.

Sasuke smiled warmly, allowing himself to be pulled along. "'Course."

Downstairs, Mikoto began to place food on the plates by the time the boys had descended to join her. "Finally, my boys are up!" She smiled beautifully, showing off a perfect set of teeth behind full scarlet painted lips. Mikoto was fully clothed in a casual dress, though Sasuke didn't understand why she just couldn't wear jeans and a shirt.

"Were you going out today, mother?" Itachi inquired politely, as he sat down at the circular table and gestured for Tenkei to do the same.

Mikoto returned to the table with a platter of food, setting it down in the middle of the table. "Actually," she began, wiping her hands against her apron, "I was going to visit my sister, and I would like to bring Tenkei, that is if you don't mind, my son."

Tenkei perked up excitedly. "Please can I go with Sobo, 'tousan, pleeease!" Itachi seemed a bit apprehensive about letting the boy out of his sight, but Sasuke figured he had come to the conclusion that he would be alright with their mother when he agreed.

"I guess it's fine, Sasuke and I will probably just catch up a little while you're gone." At this, Sasuke's eyes flicked up towards his brother, wondering what the man was getting at; he hadn't agreed to anything.

"How precious," Mikoto cooed, coming around the table to hug her eldest child. "Okay well, hurry and eat, Tenkei, then we will take our leave."

"Hai!" The little one chirped, stuffing a chopstick full of rice into his mouth.

The remainder of breakfast was quiet, save for Tenkei's occasional giggle as he chewed happily on his Onigiri. Sasuke could have sworn the kid's energy was contagious, because he felt unusually light that morning, just being in the same room as his nephew seemed to be having an effect opposite of what he had once thought it would have been whenever he came into contact with Itachi's son.

Something was not right; he was smiling much more often than he usually did, and this time he wasn't worried about it in the least. "Good?" Sasuke questioned, much more open to the little boy than he had been the day before.

Tenkei nodded vigorously. "Yeah, thanks Sobo." Itachi smiled, also feeling the effects of his son's happiness, wondering how one little person could cause such a difference in his brother; someone who refused to change for anyone or even grace another with a smile any other day. Maybe Tenkei would be able to brighten things up, possibly make things easier between he and Sasuke, which would be a complete turnaround from his previous thoughts.

"Okay, I'm done!"Tenkei exclaimed, hopping off the chair and going to Mikoto's side. She cooed, giggling how cute the little boy was, before kissing both her sons on the cheek and notifying them that she would be back later.

As soon as Tenkei had left, the gloomy nature that usually surrounded the only two occupants remaining, left the house quiet and uncomfortable.

Sasuke, who decided that he would rather keep his good mood going than stay inside that lonely house, glanced up at his brother, who looked equally at a loss of what to do next. "So, is there something you wanted to do... something you had in mind?" He forced his voice to sound as indifferent as possible, so that Itachi wouldn't get the crazy idea that Sasuke was eager to spend time alone with him... for the first time since his untimely return. Not that he was excited about spending time with Itachi or anything.

While trying unsuccessfully to convince himself that he really didn't care that much, Sasuke failed to notice his brother's unfailing stare upon his sharp features. Itachi had to admit that his baby brother was a sight he had never minded coming home to, even when they had just been younger kids. The elder Uchiha could admit that the one thing he missed the most was being with his younger brother and making the boy feel as special as he deserved to feel.

"Why don't we go for a walk?" Itachi quietly cut into Sasuke's silent musing, keeping a keen gaze on the other boys every move, something he knew unnerved the young Uchiha. Sasuke shook his head as if to clear his thoughts and shrugged before slumping up the stairs with the pace of a slug – so as not to appear eager, of course – to brush his teeth and attempt to manage the unmanageable mass of tangled strands atop his head.

Itachi was standing near the door with a cell phone pressed to his ear with white-knuckled fingers when Sasuke finally made his descent, speaking quite angrily with the shrill voice screaming over the receiver.

Sasuke faltered in his step, retreating up a few steps so that his brother wouldn't notice him eavesdropping.

"What the hell do you need money for, I'm taking care of our child," Itachi whispered fervently, "You stated that you wanted nothing to do with him, therefore you cut the both of us out of your life, because I'm not abandoning my son, and I'm definitely not wasting money on someone who is just going to use it for drugs. Goodbye."

Not a second after, he promptly flipped his phone shut and glanced toward the staircase expectantly. "You can come down now, little brother."

'_Dammit,'_ Sasuke swore, _'How the hell does he_ do _that?' _

Deciding against being defiant and walking back up the stairs as quietly as he could, Sasuke conceded, and continued his venture down the steps feeling a little guilty for listening in on Itachi's private conversation, with who appeared to be Tenkei's 'drug addict' mother.

"You heard that, didn't you?" Itachi queried, eyes boring curiously into Sasuke's downcast eyes.

Sasuke shuffled, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking away toward the crystal clear – recently cleaned – window about five inches to the right of Itachi's face. "Not really."

Itachi sighed, running a tremulous hand through glossy black tendrils that unusually hung free from its usual hair tie. His jaw muscles strained against the skin of his pale face, eyes as tired as Sasuke had ever seen them, and for once in his entire life, the younger boy felt pity for his brother whom he always assumed lived a perfect life. It seemed he was wrong.

Not knowing what else to say, and pushing down that painful pinch in his gut, Sasuke cut into the awkward silence – something they'd been having too much of – and gestured to the door with his thumb. "Uh, are you – um – ready?" God, he sounded like a total idiot.

Itachi forced a tight-lipped smile and opened the door, holding it open for him. "You first?"

Sasuke nodded and plodded quickly towards the door, anxious to get out of the house and into a fresh air environment.

Outside, just as the weatherman kept blabbing about, it was 'partly cloudy with a chance of rain'. The sun hid behind a veil of gray painted clouds, occasionally peeking its merry face every once in a while, the momentous touch of sunlight quickly warming Sasuke's skin, only to disappear the moment a cloud came chasing it back into its hiding space.

Somewhere off into the distance, lovebirds sang their beautiful verses to one another, fluttering from branch-to-branch. It was peaceful to say the least, and for once in a long time, Sasuke was content just to share this gift of nature with another.

The brother's walked at a leisurely pace beside one another, occasionally stealing gazes at the other, catching eyes every so often. Itachi would just smirk smugly whenever Sasuke would blush profusely and lock his eyes onto his beaten up tennis shoes and the gravel beneath them in heavy thought. The older could only wish he had the ability to read minds, just so he could know what ran through his little brother's at times.

If only for that moment, it was just like old times when the two would feel just fine being around the other, no words having to be wasted on futile conversations or meaningless arguments. Itachi felt they could walk this road together forever and he would still be content, even if they never reached the end of it.

Even if he could only admit to himself, Itachi knew he still loved his brother like no other, and sometimes he wondered if things could ever be as they were when the two were younger and hadn't had a care in the world.

"What are you thinking," Sasuke asked quietly, hoping to get some insight into his brother's locked away feelings. This was something he might need; just to know if Itachi ever thought about him, even when they weren't together.

Itachi paused in his step, walking over to the sidewalk to let a car pass by, Sasuke following closely behind. Turning his head up to the sky, Itachi spoke, revealing his thoughts to the one person that he never felt the need to make an impression in front of, or worry about being criticized for being anything but unreadable.

"I was thinking," here, he paused, looking down into Sasuke's eyes, who felt roped in and tied to his brother's deep stare, "what it would have been like between you and I had I stayed, and if we could ever have that again." Itachi's deep timbre was muted and thoughtful as he spoke what was in his mind; his heart. There had once been a time when he was afraid to say what he needed to say in front of Sasuke, but it had been his little brother who'd broken his silence. After that, he felt there was nothing that he couldn't say to the younger male.

Sasuke couldn't think for a moment. Wasn't it just last night that Itachi had basically told him that what they once had, could never be again. Why was he playing with him like this?

"What... what is it that you're trying to say to me, Itachi?" Sasuke was confused, bewildered, and maybe just a bit frazzled. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear it or not.

Itachi's gaze hadn't faltered once as he watched the suppressed emotions flicker across the face of one confused teenager. "If we could try again, would you want to be with me?"

Okay, Sasuke was dumbfounded. It seemed as if Itachi didn't know what he wanted anymore. First he says it couldn't work and now he wants to try again. It seemed like if Sasuke agreed, he would only be setting himself up for a downfall once again and this time he had the feeling that he may not be able to handle it this time.

God, Itachi would be the death of him.


	4. Chapter Three

I can't believe it's been so long since I updated! I am particularly ashamed with how long I've let this fic go on without an update. It's been way too long, but I will get back on track. Please do not doubt me. From now on, I am going to start replying to reviews as soon as I get them, because I got much more feedback than I had expected, though that's a good thing, because it lets me know I'm doing something right with this story. I appreciate you all letting me know what you think and it gives me much inspiration and sometimes even ideas to put into a new chapter.

You guys are great. So I've left you waiting long enough, now it's time to stop rambling and get on with the show. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I profit from the writing of this story. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto. Also, keep in mind that these quotes do not belong to me. The quote used in this chapter belongs solely to Arthur Miller.

* * *

_Betrayal is the only truth that sticks._

_-_

Better Off Alone

Chapter Three: A Forked Road

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-

Sasuke stepped back one pace, feeling beguiled by his brother's indecisive ways. One minute, Itachi was crushing all hope of the two of them ever recapturing what they once had, along with the introduction of his newly discovered son, and the next minute, Itachi wanted to be back in his good graces.

He stared, dumbfounded by his usually reasonable sibling, but it seemed that Itachi had gone off his rocker to think that with one little talk, everything would be as it was before he'd flown off to America. It was ridiculous for his brother to think him so desperate, that he would be forgiven so easily.

Sasuke felt strongly compelled to feel the skin of Itachi's cheek against his fist, but he was not furious enough to ignore the consequences should he partake in such actions. Itachi would be beyond mad, as he was when provoked by his little brother.

Itachi was standing there, so calmly as if he hadn't just uttered the words that Sasuke had longed to hear for years should his brother have returned earlier. He would always dream that Itachi would come to him in the dark of the night and plead for his love, claiming that he was not worthy. The dream always caused Sasuke to scoff bitterly, knowing that his older brother would never lower himself to such indignity. Itachi had too much pride to be confessing his love, and much less, his unworthiness.

Sasuke hated that stillness, wanted Itachi to feel the distress and turmoil that he felt as well. It was not him that betrayed Itachi, but the other way around, and he'd be damned if he had to be the one to suffer from heartache alone.

Finally, Sasuke spoke, bitterly and unabashed. "No."

Itachi's face didn't change at all, but Sasuke sensed the tension as well as noticed the aggravated tick in his brother's jaw. Serves him right, Sasuke thought to himself. Itachi wasn't going to be able to hurt him again, not like he did the first time he''d given his heart to the older man.

Sasuke didn't have to say anything else, and Itachi never asked, but that didn't mean he could not speak his mind.

"Sasuke... you must think that while I was gone, I did not think of you." He began softly, and though Sasuke sighed exasperatedly, he listened intently to what his brother had to say, folding his arms over his chest. "At first, being in a new place, I regret to say that you had not passed my mind much for the first days. I'm not going to lie and say that I thought of you every moment that I was away, because then I would only be feeding you things you would want to hear, but not what you _need_ to know."

Sasuke wondered how Itachi telling him this would make his brother's case any better, but he decided to stay quiet and let him continue before he had his say. "However, it is a ridiculous notion that I had completely forgotten you and what we had. I just put myself into undesirable situations along the way, and during that time, I was not thinking nearly as much I know I should have been.

Never once were my intentions to distance myself from you while I was in America, and I still love you the way I did when I departed, but raising Tenkei with me... I couldn't put you through that."

Never had Sasuke ever hear his brother say more than ten words in one sentence. Usually, that one sentence would sum up just about everything the man was trying to say without the use of extra words. His explanation, however it may have come, was just as confusing as Itachi's request only moments ago. It seemed as if Itachi was explaining the reason why he didn't want them to be together, but only a few minuted had passed since he brought up their being together again.

It was confusing and stressful to think about. "Itachi, you might want to consider explaining why you think we _should _be together, instead of telling me why you think we shouldn't," Sasuke deadpanned, feeling at a loss of how to go about this situation.

Itachi sighed, brushing a hand through his hair, and then tucking them both into his pocket. "I just miss being with you."

That was all, Sasuke though, _that _was all! Itachi just missed being with him?!

For some reason, this made his blood boil and his stomach flutter simultaneously, though anger eventually won over.

"I'm leaving," he seethed, before stomping off in the general direction of his house. At least there he could find some comfort in the normality and familiarity of it all. Unfortunately, he didn't get far. You never did with Itachi.

Itachi grabbed onto his hand, whipping him around, causing the younger boy to stumble in his steps, which made him angrier than before. "What is it, what do you want from me, brother?" Was it something that wasn't being said, was there some kind of mind reading abilities that Itachi expected from him? Without that, Sasuke would never be able to tell what he was thinking.

Itachi stood in front him, not as calm as usual, but still composed. "I want you to talk to me, Sasuke. You've said but only a few sentences to me since I've returned."

"What do you want me to say?!" Sasuke yelled exasperatedly, feeling drained and upset, wondering what it would take to get his brother to understand that things were not as easy as before. "I can't give you what you want, I _won't_. We both saw what happened last time I did that. How did you think I would feel when you came back with a child, Itachi, a _child_! Did you think that everything was going to be okay again?"

Itachi appeared increasingly disturbed, his brows furrowed so that they almost pressed against one another. The hurt was there, like it always was in Sasuke's eyes. It made him feel that much better to know that Itachi was feeling just a semblance of what he had felt for years when he felt like the love of his life had abandoned him. It was like a knife in the gut.

Itachi probably had not spent sleepless nights hoping that his brother would come back for him, at least call and let Sasuke know that he still loved him and thought about him. Itachi probably had not felt that jealousy and rage that he'd felt when the only person he'd given his heart to, walked up the driveway with a child in his arms. It drove Sasuke absolutely mad to know that his love might possibly be unrequited.

Sasuke swallowed, feeling tears he had suppressed – and was desperately trying to suppress now – well up in his eyes. He was a man now, and he would not cry like that pathetic, naïve little boy he once was.

Itachi did not avert his gaze though had the decency to look the least bit ashamed at his actions. "It is too late to take back everything I have done, and I do not regret the birth of my son, but I do regret not calling or writing, telling you how I longed for you when I was away. There is nothing that I can do to change any of that, but I would like you to consider moving on with me."

Sasuke looked away, off into the distance so that he didn't have to look his brother in the eyes. "I don't know right now, Itachi. The most I can be for you right now is a brother." No matter how much it hurt to say those words, Sasuke knew it was best, and he knew deep inside that he was not quite ready to forgive his brother.

The flash of disappointment in those coal hued eyes did not miss Sasuke, but he had made up his mind, and dammit, he would stick with it, if only for the sake of his healing heart.

-

-

The house was still deserted by the time the brothers had made it back home. It was still quite early in the day, so they were left with – in Itachi's opinion – plenty of time to bond.

"Watch TV with me for a while," Itachi had asked softly, as soon as Sasuke seemed to be headed for his room. Sasuke sighed, felt tired, but acquiesced to his brother's wishes.

Making himself comfortable on the lengthy couch in the living room, he watched as Itachi slid down on the opposite side. The older Uchiha stretched his legs out before him as he reached for the remote, which lay innocently along the glass table situated between the couch and the television.

The noise from the television filled the silence, but did very little to cut the tension. Itachi quickly found a movie for them to watch, an American movie about a man who gave his heart to a dying woman and his eyes to a blind man, as well as donated a few other organs. The man had acquired a guilty conscience after the death of his wife and another family in car accident. It was tragic, but realistic. It had a bittersweet ending, but more bitter than sweet, in Sasuke's opinion.

"You know, I've thought of doing that myself, one day." Itachi commented when the movie was over. Sasuke was a bit perturbed by this. Yes, he and his brother weren't on the best terms at the moment, but he had no wish for his brother to die. Yes, what the man on the movie had done was an act of good will, but he had also felt guilt and depression. Sasuke would not wish that upon anyone.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Why would you do that?"

Itachi shrugged, flicking channels offhandedly, and once finding something – a cheesy game show – he lowered the volume and turned his attention towards his younger brother.

"There are some who cherish life more than I do, and some that deserve it even more, but do not have the physical strength to live as long as they would like." Itachi sounded every bit the sacrificing older brother that he was, and as always, Sasuke was the selfish younger brother who wanted nothing more than to keep Itachi to himself.

Furrowing his brow, Sasuke regarded Itachi warily. "You won't really do that, will you?"

Itachi chuckled lowly, setting the butterflies off in a mad frenzy within Sasuke's belly. "Maybe, if I have nothing left to live for."

The way his brother responded gave Sasuke the idea that beneath his words, Itachi meant something more, something much more scarier than he believed possible. What did Itachi mean when he said that he would give his life if he had nothing left to live for?

But then again, there was... "You wouldn't though, would you?" Sasuke stated firmly, more than inquired. "Because you have Tenkei, and I doubt he would live a happy life without his father."

Itachi nodded, though the intensity of his stare did not go unnoticed by the younger Uchiha. "And you, of course," he spoke with such finality, that Sasuke immediately squashed down any doubts he had about his stance when it came to Itachi. "I know that I have you as well."

Sasuke doubted that his brother would kill himself if Sasuke wasn't in in his life. Itachi had gone off for five years without him, so what he knew for a fact was that his older brother could survive without Sasuke in his life. He held his tongue though, knowing that if he spoke his mind, Itachi would take offense and Sasuke didn't really feel like arguing with the man.

"Ah," he said instead, keeping his eyes trained on the television. Sasuke shifted, finding being curled up on the couch with his legs cramped and folded wasn't as comfortable as he thought it would be. The need to stretch his legs was tempting, but then again, Itachi was there on the other side of the couch, heedless to Sasuke's discomfort.

Shifting again, Sasuke jumped as his feet were grabbed and pulled over his brother's denim clad thighs. Stiff now, the younger male simply stared at his brother, feeling a bit cautious. It was obvious that Itachi was trying to make him comfortable and at the same time halt his squirming, but Sasuke remembered this was how they used to sit and talk all the time before Itachi left. They had been so carefree and in their comfort zone around each other, but now things were different and there was no going around the awkwardness of the situation.

"Uh," Sasuke sputtered nervously, "you don't have to do that. I was going to get up soon anyway." He really didn't feel like dealing with the tense atmosphere that their reunion had so inconveniently provided.

Itachi's jaw was working overtime as he tightened his hold around his brother's feet, wishing he could do more, get closer to his brother. "No, stay." He knows how desperate he sounds, but Sasuke didn't understand how much he had missed this when he was away. Itachi wanted so much for things to be like how they previously were, but his absence of five years had done much damage to their relationship, as well as Tenkei's presence now. "At least for a little while."

Sasuke caved in, not accustomed to anyone really wanting him around, with his moody attitude and solitary personality. Relaxing as best as he could, Sasuke looked at his brother, suddenly wishing to know about his brother's conquest while he was away, but more so wanting to know about Tenkei's mother.

"Itachi..." His older brother tilted his head back against the couch and turned his attention away from the game show that he was really paying no attention to anyways. His long raven hair fell in rivulets around his shoulders, tickling his upper back and arms. "Who is Tenkei's mother?"

Itachi's eyes widened momentarily in surprise as he surveyed the questing look in Sasuke's eyes. Wide eyes narrowed in suspicion, wondering why Sasuke would want to know that, out of all the questions he could have asked about Itachi's time away from home.

"That doesn't concern you," he snapped, feeling defensive, though Itachi didn't really know why. He had this urge to stick up for the mother of his child even though Sasuke did not know who she was or anything about her. She didn't deserve it though, that woman.

Sasuke flushed in embarrassment, wishing he had kept his mouth shut, knowing that Itachi was not the type to talk about his personal life to anyone.

"Sorry," he mumbled, turning back to the game show, a little put off that Itachi could not talk to him, of all people. It made him feel that much more distant to his brother than he had when he had first shown up out of the blue.

Itachi was beginning to regret snapping at his little brother. Sasuke had always been a bit of a curious creature, and it was expected that his little brother would be curious about the woman he'd had a child with.

Sasuke needed to know though, had a right to know how Itachi had ended up with a child while he was away. He didn't want Sasuke to think he had fallen out of love with him while he was away, and Itachi was ashamed for the things he'd done while he was away, and the misery he himself had caused his little brother, the same thing he had once tried to prevent.

"I met her during my time in America, which I'm sure you've figured out by now," Itachi began with a sigh, eyes glazing over as he thought back to the woman he'd met. "She was a senior at Harvard, the university I attended while I was away, majoring in Criminal Justice, which turned out to be ironic in the end," he stated with a bitter huff of laughter.

Sasuke listened intently, searching eyes glued to the side of his brother's face. "At the time, she seemed like the perfect distraction from my thoughts of you and returning home. I had been thinking since I was away, that it would be better off to be away from you and I was afraid that I would ruin your life in the long run.

"I thought that bringing her home would make father and mother happy, and allow you to see that you could have a normal life, too, a better life without having to hide our relationship and worrying if anyone would find out. I wasn't thinking about how much it would hurt you at the time." Itachi paused here, turning to study his little brother, but got nothing more than a focused gaze, and a little pushing pressure from his brother's feet, urging him to continue.

"Ame was... not what I thought that she would be. At school, she was this perfect student, beautiful, smart, and at the top of her game. Yeah, she was perfect to bring home to mother and father, but that was before I knew her outside of school." Sasuke couldn't ignore the feel of a knife driving through his heart, twisting at the adoration he could hear in his brother's voice when he spoke of this woman. It hurt so much that he was tempted to get up and walk out the room, but he stayed, curiosity outweighing everything else.

"We had grown close during my first few months there, though I still wished for your company more than anything, and in no time, we were going out on dates. Soon after, she would ask for money every now and then, and I would loan it to her. I never knew what she did with the money, but then again, I really didn't care, seeing as I had much more where that came from. Father and mother wired money every week, along with a job I had acquired during my stay.

"One night, I brought her over to the house and we had a romantic dinner, wine and all. The two of us got a little tipsy, her more so than I, and ended up having sex that night."

Itachi stared down at his fiddling fingers, wondering why he had been so enchanted by Ame, that he would let things go too far without considering the consequences. Just looking at Sasuke, he could see the restrained emotions, feeling horrible for making his little brother feel this way. He wasn't worth those precious tears.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, and continued the story. "The next morning, she was gone along with my credit card and all the money I had in my wallet."

Sasuke gasped under his breath, feeling regret now for even asking, never knowing how his brother had been deceived by a woman he had obviously fallen for.

"I didn't see her for months after that, and the university was big enough that she would be able to avoid me. The next time she came to me, was to tell me that she was having my child." There was sadness there, anger and betrayal that he had let down his walls for Ame, only to have been betrayed and robbed of his money. "Ame kept coming back for money, claiming that she needed money for every little thing, and then one night, I found out where she would go on the days that school was out, and I had gone to confront her."

In an instant, Itachi's voice was filled with anger. "Let's just say that she wasn't in the best of places, and it was there that I discovered what exactly I had been giving her money for. She had been doing every drug you could think of and all along I had been supporting her drug addiction, unintentionally harming my son, as well," his voice was hard as he hissed out, "I was such a fool."

Itachi's eyes mirrored his voice as he turned to look down into Sasuke's eyes. "That was the first time I ever hit a woman, though I never forgot that she was carrying Tenkei. After everything, when Tenkei was born, we stayed until he was weaned form his mother's breast, she wanted nothing to do with him once he was old enough to consume baby food instead of Ame's milk.

"When he turned three we had already made plans to come back to Konoha... and I wanted to see you again, missed you terribly. So, I finished school, and as soon as I graduated, we were on a plane back here."

The room was quiet now, and the only sound was of the muted voice of the game show host on the television, concluding the show for the day. Sasuke didn't know what to say, didn't know how to feel now that his brother had told him the truth. Of course it still hurt that Itachi had found something with someone else, fell in lust or even if it was love, it was with someone who was not him. It made his stomach clench in away that he had to wrap an arm around his abdomen to quell the pain.

It was maddening to have to hear about Itachi's admiration for Ame, but Sasuke couldn't help but to be glad that she was thousands of miles away, and Itachi disliked her now that he knew who she was behind closed doors. There was nothing left to say, though, but it was obvious that Itachi needed comfort, an action that Sasuke had never been very good at.

Sitting up, he pulled his feet back, earning an inquiring glance from Itachi as the boy sat upright and pulled his knees up to his chin, while laying his cheek upon them and his eyes steadfastly trained on his brother.

Clearing his throat, he opened his mouth to speak. "I'm glad that you found out who she really was before you got any more involved with a woman like that. I may not be a fan of yours at the moment, but I would never want to see you get hurt... aniki."

Itachi exhaled a shuddering breath, feeling relief that Sasuke didn't just get up and walk away from him. "It could not have been kept a secret that long. I guess I would have found out eventually."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted in agreement. "Itachi, thank you, you know, for opening up to me and all."

Itachi shrugged as if it was know big deal, but they both knew that it had to be the hardest thing for Itachi to do. "Are you hungry?"

Sasuke nodded, feeling a little better now that most of the weight on his chest had been lifted. It was not everyday that Itachi said more than a paragraph to him, and it certainly wasn't everyday that the older Uchiha would open up to him. "Yeah, a little." At that moment, his stomach grumbled in agreement as Sasuke stood and stretched, yawning .

"Let's go out and eat, my treat," Itachi stated, slipping on his shoes by the door and grabbing his car keys. Sasuke followed suit, and stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air before waiting by the car for his brother to unlock the door.

As soon as they were both in the car, Itachi had the engine started, and no later were they backing out and headed away from home, content for the first time in a while.

-

-

Later that night, the brother's sat along the porch swing, fat and full with a sleeping Tenkei stretched out over their laps. Upon arriving home, the little Uchiha had promptly tackled his father and rambled on excitedly about his day with Mikoto while the motherly figure watched on with a gentle smile.

Sasuke had gone outside to sit on the porch swing, joined minutes later by his brother and nephew, which surprisingly he did not resent. The company kept his mind off of things he had no wish to think about and the stars gave his eyes something to look at.

The three of them had been out there for an hour now, Itachi quite curious about the boy's life since he'd been gone, asking questions in between the silence, to which Sasuke would reluctantly answer to. Sasuke couldn't deny that it felt good to have his brother back at his side again, his best friend before he had gone off to America. It almost felt like old times again, but Sasuke knew that this peace could only last for so long.

The late hours were closing in, and Itachi had gotten up to take Tenkei to bed before coming back to wish Sasuke a good night.

Before he left though, Itachi stood before his brother, and Sasuke was immediately trapped in his brother's intense gaze. "I really did miss you, Sasuke. I never meant to hurt you like I did, but if we can't be together again, at least find it in yourself to forgive me. That's all I can ask of you for now."

Sasuke felt his breath hitch as his brother knelt to stand on his haunches before leaning in to place a gentle kiss against the corner of his lips, before pulling away and retreating back into the house.

"Sleep well, little brother," were his parting words.

Feeling the tingle on the patch of skin his brother had laid his lips upon, Sasuke wondered if perhaps he should have pushed him away. He would be lying if he said in his heart, he still loved Itachi more than anything in the world, but he was frightened, frightened to death that he would just get hurt all over again.

Sighing, Sasuke rocked the swing back and forth with his feet, feeling the first signs of fatigue creeping up on him.

Closing his eyes, he could not erase the face that had always haunted his dreams. It seemed Itachi was getting to him all over again,and this time, he would try as hard as he could to fight this, no matter how badly he wanted Itachi in the end.

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Welp, there ya go! Sorry again, for the long absence, and I will try to update as soon as possible. Have a good day, guys!


	5. Chapter Four

Oh my gosh, I am in this writing mode like a motherf**cker! Sorry for the language, but I feel good to finally be updating this story. I have neglected it and all of my readers. I am so very sorry, but life has been a bit hectic lately. Geez, I'm like Kakashi with all of these excuses. Anyways, on with the story!

Disclaimer: All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto, but the plot is mines, all mines! Also, the rights for the quote go to Thomas S. Szasz

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_The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget_

Chapter Four: Slipping

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The smell of fried food was what woke him up the next morning, hungry as he was; his stomach was only a growling reminder of what he needed to be doing right now.

Throwing the cover away and off his body, he listened to the soft slide of the fabric as it slid onto the floor below, before silence overruled once more. The blinds were turned down so that the sunlight couldn't penetrate them and rudely disturb his morning routine of slowly awakening. Sasuke's stomach was beginning to ache in hunger pains, the last time he ate being when he went out for lunch with Itachi the previous day.

The door creaked open just the tiniest bit, the sound of muted giggling reaching his ears before the soft ones of his mother's voice infiltrated his musings. "Is he still asleep, little one?" She inquired, attempting to politely keep her voice lowered, just in case her suspicions were accurate.

A tiny voice answered back shortly, "Yes, Sobo, but can we wake 'em up, please! I wanna play!" The door creaked even louder – he _had _to get those hinges oiled – as a body entered through the space between the door and the frame. It wasn't too much later that a little body crawled on the bed and slowly slinked its way to him, peaking over Sasuke's uncovered shoulder.

"Sas-ke, wake up," Tenkei whined, tiny hands shaking Sasuke's bare shoulder, though failing in getting any response other than a groan. "Pleeeease?" Sasuke would feel bad if he were to ignore such a sweet little kid, he couldn't help it if he was being annoying. He was a child, it was in his nature.

Turning over, eyes opening slowly, uncomfortably due to the crust built around the edge of his eyelids, which he quickly wiped away with a solid fist.

"Hey brat, whadayya want," he slurred, pulling the little Uchiha into a hug, while Mikoto swooned and snapped a quick photo, hoping that Sasuke wouldn't notice, though he did. He would delete the photo later, but for now, he was content to just lay here for the rest of the day.

Tenkei giggled, feet kicking up into the air as Sasuke began to tickle his sides effortlessly, a smile sliding on his lips. He couldn't help it, the kid brought a little happiness into the house, and the change was welcome in exchange for the melancholy he's gotten so used to.

"AH! The Sas-ke monster got me, help Sobo, Heeeeelp!" Tenkei giggled, waving his little arms around, while super-Mikoto swooped down to save the day, coming to tickle Sasuke unexpectedly, which hadn't happened in quite some years. Though he'd tried to hold it in, he let slip one laugh, then two, and the next thing he knew, a string of laughter was spilling from his lips, unhindered.

Tenkei, finally having escaped from the evil Sasuke-Monster, exacted his revenge, joining in with super-Mikoto to execute the 'Tickle-of-doom' plan. So diving in, he picked a nice big spot on Sasuke's belly and moved his fingers across the surface, causing the older Uchiha to gasp, laughing harder than when he'd began.

This was so unlike him, laughing so openly, even when it was just a little kid and his mother around, he hadn't laughed like this since he was a child.

Unknowing to them, the two oldest males of the house stood planted at the door, watching in amusement as Sasuke was reduced to breathless gasps and laughter they didn't imagine he could even provide anymore. The moment was pretty priceless, rare enough that they just had to stop and watch the events unfold before their eyes that no one else would ever believe.

Itachi looked on with nothing less than love, for this was the Sasuke he could remember before he left, at last making an appearance. This was what he had been expecting when he returned home, except he got this icy cold exterior, and stone black eyes that let none have entry.

However, at the moment, Sasuke was the most beautiful creature that ever could have been created, so much so, that it hurt to look upon his face and not weep with envy at such beauty. There was no furrow between his brows, the dullness in Sasuke's eyes replaced with joy and the dimples that Itachi forgot he even had, were making their appearance.

So much beauty, yet so much sadness, and that was all anyone could ever see of Sasuke, because that was what he'd convinced everyone he was only capable of showing, though now, Itachi could obviously see that they had all been deceived.

Beside him, Fugaku chuckled as Tenkei rose on his knees and lifted both his hands in victory, faking a cackle. "That son of yours is something else, Itachi," He commented fondly, turning to place a hand on the shoulder of his first-born. "You've done well raising him on your own."

Shaking his head, Itachi kept his eyes on Sasuke, but directed his answer to his father, agreeing whole-heartedly that his son was indeed something else if he could bring this side out of Sasuke, a perfectly marble statue, at any other time.

He hated to end the moment, but Tenkei hadn't had breakfast yet, so he had come to collect his son. Stepping into the room, Itachi waited for his son to notice him, which he didn't have to wait long for, for the boy was still reveling in his victory. "Did you sthee, did you sthee, daddy?" He babbled excitedly, unable to pronounce his words correctly yet, "We took down the Sas-ke monster!"

Itachi chuckled, "Oh really now?" Sasuke by now was nearly calm, chest still heaving a bit as he fought to catch his breath, Mikoto, still giggling a little as she gave Itachi a quick kiss on the cheek, and walked to her husband's side

Sasuke couldn't quite keep the smile from his lips, feeling like the day was going to be a good one, and for once he was in a good enough mood to act decent to the people around him, though that wasn't his usual way of going about things, he would do it for today, at least to avoid a confrontation.

"Yeah, and we made him laugh, too," Tenkei shrieked happily, nodding furiously.

Itachi smiled, picking up the boy into his arms, planting a kiss on his cheek. "I know, I saw. Now come on, Sobo wants you down for breakfast." Tenkei's cheek smashed up, narrowing his one eye cutely with the force of the kiss as he waved goodbye over Itachi's shoulder.

Watching his brother and nephew leave the room noisily, Sasuke smiled just the tiniest bit, wondering how a little kid, one almost as annoying as Naruto used to be, was the only motivator he took to, to start his day off positively, though if anyone ever asked him, he would avidly deny that thought.

Sitting up in bed, Sasuke threw his legs over the side of the bed, feeling the tingle of blood rushing back to his lower body, the stab of tiny little needles under his toes as he walked to the bathroom, thoroughly uncomfortable. Going about his usual time, he was reluctant to admit that he felt a little giddy to be downstairs and with the family for breakfast, as unusual as that was. Breakfast with the Uchiha family tended to be tense and silent, filled with worries and the silent longing to be elsewhere; anywhere but where you were at the moment, thinking of days long past.

The smell of frying eggs reached his nose, as Sasuke threw on a black shirt and grey sweatpants that were long enough to cover his sock-clad feet. Taking to the steps, he descended slowly, listening to the conversation between his mother and brother as they spoke casually about Itachi's future.

"And where do you plan to go when you leave here?" Mikoto asked softly, delicately placing a chopstick full of rice into her mouth, slowly chewing as she watched her son do the same across the table, occasionally wiping Tenkei's lips with a napkin. Stopping along the stairs, Sasuke awaited an answer with bated breath, wishing his heart wouldn't beat so fast just at the sound of Itachi's voice.

Placing his chopsticks down in his empty bowl, Itachi looked up to meet his mother's eyes. "I plan to stay here in Konoha. I'd rather stay close to home, but soon Tenkei and I will get a dwelling of our own." Hands in a steeple over his mouth, he added, "I also would like Sasuke to come live with us when we do."

Eyelids fluttering, Sasuke placed a hand over his chest to still his frantic heart, but there was nothing to stop the eruption of strokes, fast and furious like the wings of a humming bird, taking place in his stomach. Itachi wanted Sasuke to… live with he and his son.

Mikoto seemed to be seriously contemplating this request, watching her youthful son with kind eyes. Finally, after a drawn out silence, she replied, "I'm sure your father wouldn't mind, but Sasuke is the one you have to worry about." She looked up at Itachi with wise, knowing eyes, crossing her arms on the table, a little smile perking up the corner of her lips. "Don't think I haven't noticed the way you two have been communicating since you've gotten back."

Sasuke poked a head around the corner, peering into the kitchen to catch a glimpse of the interaction. The tone in his mother's voice had made him curious as to what facial expression she was holding upon her pretty face; what with that sure tone of hers, he had suspected that she knew something she wasn't suppose to know.

Itachi was watching her with narrowed eyes, "What do you mean," he inquired, voice on the verge of suspicion.

"I mean," Mikoto began, gathering up the empty plates from the table, "that you and your brother are obviously feuding, but you've been gone for so long, and as far as I'm concerned, the two of you hadn't really talked much when you were away. What has brought this on?"

Feeling annoyed that his mother was prying, Sasuke had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, and so suddenly it seemed that he had been resisting the urge to stop himself from doing one-too-many things that were out of character for him. Deciding to just sit on the steps and wait out the conversation, Sasuke placed his elbow on his knees and laid his chin on his open palm, listening intently to the conversation.

Itachi sighed, running a pale hand through his hair, Itachi opened his mouth to lie to his mother, though finding that thinking of it as just a little twist of a true tale, rather than a flat out fib, put his mind at ease. "Mother, you know that at this age, Sasuke is more susceptible to mood swings and emotional imbalances, as we all were when we were his age. Lately it seems I've been entertaining these little moments, and arguments tend to come from these instances."

Holding back a gasp at the gall of his brother placing all the blame on his shoulder, Sasuke stood, ready to make an appearance and wreak havoc on Itachi's face with a fist full of vengeance, however, his fury was halted by his mother's soft voice.

She giggled a little. "Somehow I feel that you are playing down your part in this, a little."

Stomping down the rest of the stairs, Sasuke muttered, "Yeah, more like completely playing down his part." Good mood completely gone, Sasuke grabbed the bowl of rice and separate plate of eggs waiting patiently in his place at the kitchen table, stabbing his chopsticks into the generous amount of food before him. This time he didn't care if he seemed petulant to his mother; Itachi knew the truth of his anger, and that was all that mattered to him.

"Sasuke, I hope you weren't eavesdropping; I thought we talked about that when you were younger," Mikoto came around the table to place a kiss on his forehead, smoothing stray raven strands from Sasuke's forehead.

Sasuke kept his eyes on his bowl, refusing to meet Itachi's searching gaze, though he could feel his stare burning into the side of his head, though the younger Uchiha couldn't help but hope that he felt regret for what he'd said, for throwing Sasuke under the bus when half of his mood swings came from the way Itachi kept playing with him.

Mikoto frowned, pressing her cheek into the crown of her son's head, while the young boy scowled fiercely down at his bowl, wishing his mother weren't present so he could tell Itachi how much he wish he hadn't come back, how he was just ruining Sasuke's life all over again, or maybe how he hated that Itachi could evoke those weird feelings in him all over again.

"Aw, Sasuke-chan, don't be that way," the dark-haired woman soothed, wondering if maybe a few fresh picked, ripe tomatoes would make her baby boy feel better. "What happened to that good mood?"

Shrugging his mother off gently, Sasuke pushed away from the table feeling upset with himself for playing into Itachi's 'moody teenager' explanation.

Mikoto stared solemnly as her son walked away from her, leaving her to wonder what exactly she had done to deserve such cold and estranged behavior from her youngest child.

Itachi followed after, seeing his mother sigh in exhaustion, automatically knowing that the woman was blaming herself.

He caught Sasuke near the door slipping on his shoes, one hand already on the handle. As soon as the door was opening, it was slamming shut by Itachi's powerful strength, nearly jerking the younger boy off balance.

Breath catching harshly in his throat, so much so, that the cold air he'd rapidly inhaled burned the skin of his throat. Wrenching around, he was confronted with angry onyx eyes, though Itachi was as indifferent as always. Everything was all about what you saw in the eyes, the only way Sasuke could ever really tell what Itachi was feeling a majority of the time they spent together before his brother left Konoha.

"The hell?" Sasuke growled through gritted teeth. This whole back and forth relationship they were developing was really starting to grate on his nerves.

Itachi edged closer, almost chest to chest with the boy now. "You go back there and apologize to Kaasan, now." Itachi was close enough that Sasuke could smell the green tea he'd sipped with breakfast, still lingering on his tongue. It was a pleasant scent, but all he could think of was how close Itachi was and how absurd it felt to be ordered around by his brother even though he was old enough to dismiss whatever his older brother told him to do. The fact that he'd been gone for about half a decade didn't help much either.

Shoving his brother out of his personal space, Sasuke snarled, "Who the hell do you think you are, you lost your fucking right to order me around a long time ago, Itachi."

Itachi's eyes flashed with fury for a moment before he breathed in deeply. "I may not, but Kaasan was only trying to speak with you." Itachi pointed a finger to the kitchen where Mikoto had her back turned, washing the dishes as she hummed a soft tune quietly under her breath. "You shouldn't keep treating her the way you do."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, this time unable to resist the action, perplexed that his brother thought he could come back and start making demands, pointing out people's rights and wrongs. "Oh, what the hell do you know?"

"I know enough to say that mother doesn't deserve your fucked up attitude." Itachi whispered harshly into his ear, trying desperately to keep his voice at a minimal volume, so as not to alert Mikoto to their argument.

Itachi caught a glimpse of the hurt that flickered across Sasuke's face, immediately feeling regret, wondering how it was that just the day before they had taken two steps forward together, only to take three huge steps backwards, even further behind then where they first started.

Attempting to push past Itachi, Sasuke managed to hiss out, "Fuck you," before he was pulled back against the door, a sullen Itachi watching him with stormy dark eyes, conflict brewing behind them.

"Look, I'm not trying to order you around; I just wish you would consider someone else's feelings besides your own."

"Oh, like saving your own ass and throwing me under the bus was any better, Itachi. 'Well, at his age, Sasuke is susceptible to mood swings-,' total bullshit." Comprehension suddenly dawned on Itachi, before he cast his eyes away for a split second, remembering what he'd told his mother only a few short moments ago, not having realized that Sasuke heard.

Itachi really hadn't meant for Sasuke to hear that, but that had been the only excuse he could come up with at the time, one that he'd felt guilty about it as soon as the words left his lips, but once they were out, Itachi couldn't stop the lie from flowing so fluidly from his lips. "Sasuke…"

"Whatever," the younger boy said before he turned around, wrenching the door open, the sudden filter of light causing him to narrow his eyes as he stepped out and slammed the door behind him.

Itachi stared at the place Sasuke had been for a moment, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair.

What else could he do now that he had fucked things up again?

Turning, Itachi slumped back against the door feeling like all of his optimism had been drained out, ignorant to the fact that Sasuke was in the same position on the other side of the door, wiping away at what he wished was just a tickle on his cheeks.

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.

Later in the afternoon, Sasuke returned to the house, an extra person following behind at a slower pace, perhaps awaiting permission to enter the house. Sasuke glanced around noticing that no one was really around, before he pulled the long haired brunette inside.

He could see the nervousness on Haku's face as they traveled up the stairs and to his bedroom, snapping on lights on the way. Last door on the left, and by this time, Haku was blushing profusely, having never been to Uchiha Sasuke's house without Naruto to come along.

The blonde was the only one who knew about his crush on Sasuke, though he never told a soul, and Sasuke was too oblivious, too… stuck on other things to spare him the time of day. Though right now seemed as perfect a time as any to let the Uchiha know, he had hoped to keep the secret until the day he died, seeing no real, unimaginable future for the two of them.

Really though, he had been flattered when months ago, Sasuke told him that he was the only person he could spend so much time around and not get a raging headache. Basically, Sasuke liked his company, and if that wasn't initiative enough to get the ball rolling, he even remembered Naruto saying that Sasuke thought he was attractive, and at the time, if Haku hadn't been dating Zabuza – a childhood sweetheart – then he would have asked Haku to date him, hands down.

He remembered spending half that day blushing and stuttering whenever Sasuke would say a word to him, until he'd finally pulled himself into the bathroom, and with a nice, sound slap to his cheek, whispered into the mirror, "Pull yourself together, Haku!"

"… didn't know if you were going to be home or not, but sorry if I interrupted anything." Sasuke was speaking, but Haku, so lost in his own thoughts just barely caught the gist of his companion's statement, before coughing behind a delicate hand.

"Oh, no you didn't interrupt anything; I was just cleaning up around the house a little." He really didn't like lying, but how could he tell Sasuke that he _had_ interrupted a very fascinating venture through a fetish porn site? There would have been no way to live that down, and he could just imagine the disgust on Sasuke's face once he found out what a pervert Haku really was.

Sasuke looked away, down at his feet, which were rubbing together awkwardly. "So, have you spoken to Naruto lately?"

Haku looked up at that, sighing wistfully as he recalled his brief conversation with the blonde a few weeks ago. "Yeah, he asked about you." He already knew that was what Sasuke wanted to hear, so why not cut to the chase and give the boy what he wanted.

Sasuke glanced up hopefully, feeling his heart clench at the thought of everything that had happened before Naruto went away for vacation, how he and his best friend never sorted out their argument, therefore he and Naruto were not on friendly terms any longer. "He- he did?" Sasuke inquired timidly, dark, round eyes piercing into Haku's kind chocolate spheres.

Haku nodded happily, wondering if he could possibly be the one to mend this broken relationship between Sasuke and Naruto. It would be hard though, considering they were the two most stubborn boys that ever walked the face of the earth.

"He asked how you were, though in his usual brash manner, but the sincerity was there. I think he really misses you, Sasuke." Haku put a hand on the Uchiha's shoulder, risking the burn of getting his offer of comfort rejected. "I wish the two of you would make up before he comes back."

Sasuke answered with a "Hn," feeling unusually lonely without the dobe's loud and obnoxious company. "I miss him, too." He realized he'd said too much already, though with Haku, he didn't have to worry about the state of his emotions being discussed around Konoha by the next day.

Sasuke turned to the kind brunette, flashing a smile to the older boy. "Thanks… for keeping me company."

Haku blushed, staring down at his hands, refusing to meet the eyes of the boy he could never seem to get over, even when he tried to look at all the negative things about Sasuke, it never did work for him.

Sensing his thoughts, Sasuke smiled, wondering what was there to lose if he just kissed Haku right there, someone who actually cared how he felt, someone he knew appreciated his flaws as well. Naruto never needed to tell Sasuke how Haku felt, because it was always clear in their interactions, the way the other responded around him. What was stopping him from making the first move?

"Haku?" The other boy looked up with wide eyes, widening at the knowledge he saw in Sasuke's eyes, the same feelings he felt directed back towards him and the uncontrollable thump of his heart. "May I?"

Sasuke need not say another word, because Haku was already leaning towards him, and the younger boy could do nothing other than meet him halfway, licking his dry lips the moment before impact.

It was a sweet, simple kiss. No tongues involved, just the movement of their lips against one another. Haku's hand lay on Sasuke's shoulder, while the young Uchiha's hand lay on the older, smaller boy's narrow waist, pulling him closer.

The kiss gradually grew heated, a slow steady grind of lips upon lips until Sasuke's tongue peeked out to plead entrance, which Haku granted happily, a soft moan slipping from his throat as he allowed Sasuke to dominate his mouth. Already excited with the way things were going, Haku allowed his hidden demeanor to show just the slightest as he eased the leg not against Sasuke's, over the boy's thighs, though his rear stayed firmly planted on the bed.

"Sasuke," he groaned, pulling himself closer as his breath mingled with the Uchiha's, feeling all his excitement rush to one place.

Just as things were beginning to heat up for Haku, the door slid open, revealing an older, split image of Sasuke. Pulling himself away swiftly, Haku nudged the younger boy to snap him out of his lust-induced haze, to the calm figure in the doorway.

Dreading, though knowing exactly who he would see when he looked, Sasuke turned slowly away from Haku, eyes the last to leave his companion before settling on Itachi, holding a sleeping Tenkei in his arms. Never in their time together had he seen such a possessive expression, bordering on something dangerous, though Sasuke knew he wouldn't do anything rash with his son in his arms.

Slowly and calmly, he spoke, though it was just as threatening as it would have been had he said it any other way. "I'm going to take my son to bed, and when I come back, Sasuke, he had better be gone, clear?"

Sasuke could do nothing but nod dumbly, for he had never seen Itachi this way, and the way he spoke as if he was restraining himself caused the young Uchiha to fear for Haku's health if he hadn't vanished by the time Itachi put Tenkei in bed. With one last glare, he was off down the hallway, and Haku was already on his feet, blushing as he headed towards the door.

The walk to the door was silent and tense, and Sasuke didn't know what to say to Haku, feeling embarrassed that anyone had seen the way he had obediently followed Itachi's orders. At the door, he caught the smaller boy's wrist before the other could flee, and leaned in to place a soft kiss on his cherry cheeks.

"I'm sorry about that," Sasuke said in shame, though not really knowing why he was apologizing. He really had been enjoying Haku's company, and here was his big brother, coming around to mess things up for him again.

Haku shook his head, a tiny smile on his lips. "It's okay, really. Don't worry, I'm not afraid for me, Sasuke, I'm frightened for you."

A quick peck on the cheek, and Haku was gone with a quick "Call me," before his thin figure retreated down the street.

Shutting the door, Sasuke had expected to walk upstairs to meet his brother in his bedroom, but he almost had the fright of his life to see Itachi standing in the hallway, dark eyes narrowed on him.

"So I guess you became a whore once I was gone, huh?" Itachi's tone was dark and nothing like the calm he portrayed; the calm that Sasuke could always see right through. Itachi was not happy with him, but the feeling was mutual.

Snorting, Sasuke looked away, "Hardly, I'm not the one who went off and had a kid." Hey, he was only speaking the truth.

Itachi didn't seem to like that answer, but what could he do? Sasuke really had not done anything wrong, but suddenly his brother felt it right to title him a whore.

"Remember Itachi, I'm just at that age, you know, when I want to explore my sexual urges. Maybe it's the mood swings getting to me." Sasuke knew he should have shut his mouth long before, but he couldn't fight the urge to tease Itachi, turn things back on him like Itachi had done just that morning. Really, he should have kept those words to himself.

Itachi didn't hesitate to walk closer and push the younger back into the opposite wall, hands trembling slightly against his chest. "Sexual urges, hm?"

Something in the way his brother said those words, meant to be mocking, but said with such underlying meanings, left Sasuke to shudder beneath his brother's hands. "You don't need any feminine boy to help you explore your sexual side, Sasuke. Remember, you promised yourself to me, only me."

Sasuke was excited, that much he could admit, for the sole fact that he had never seen this side of his childhood sweetheart; always calm and collected, never let anything get to him, but to see Sasuke with another guy set his eyes afire, and Sasuke loved the control. "You revoked that claim once you left Konoha, brother."

"Never," Itachi hissed, "I never took back my words.

Feeling slightly put off, he shoved Itachi's chest, but the man didn't get far before his chest was glued right back onto Sasuke's. "So it's okay for you to fuck someone, but I can't?"

Itachi glared, staring straight into his eyes as he gave him a straight, firm answer. "No." And then his lips were pressing frantically against Sasuke's, who could do nothing but kiss back, though grudgingly, under Itachi's passionate hands.

Pushing forward, Sasuke turned the tables so that it was Itachi now pressed against the opposite wall, biting harshly on the older man's lips. This didn't stop the older Uchiha from stressing his dominance, as he jacked up one of Sasuke's legs to wrap around his hips, and then trailing to a firm buttock hidden under too much cloth, in Itachi's opinion. His other hand cradled Sasuke's neck as he turned them, so that now he had the upper hand once more, and the younger trapped against the wall.

So wrapped up in this boy he had come to crave, Itachi didn't hear the creak of the stairs, pelvis thrusting forward into a moaning Sasuke's groin, breath coming out in hisses against the younger boy's lips.

So possessive after what he had to bear witness too, he had planned to wash the other boy's taste from Sasuke's tongue, as his wet muscle pushed into the bruised lips underneath him, claiming all within it.

A gasp tore him right out of his haze, and with out thinking, his head whipped around to meet the shocked gaze of his four year old son.

"Daddy, what are you to doing to Sas-ke!"


End file.
